Harlem River Status Change Could Stall Cleanup Efforts, Environmentalists Warn

The state proposes giving the Harlem River a new classification that would exempt the city from meeting bacterial water quality standards when it rains and environmental groups are not happy about it The Harlem River which runs between Manhattan and the Bronx sees more overflow from the sewer system than any river in the state according to the non-profit Swim Coalition Photo by Adi Talwar The Bronx s environmental locality is standing strong against a state proposal to assign the Harlem River a new water quality classification that would exempt the city from meeting clean-water safety standards during rain events The Harlem River a waterway that connects the Hudson and East rivers receives billion gallons of raw sewage and polluted stormwater from the city s overloaded sewer system known as Combined Sewer Overflow CSO annually That s an average of million gallons per day The Harlem River is not a dumping ground it is a vital waterway and a source of pride and recreation for the Bronx Any proposal that weakens protections for our river is an affront to the vitality dignity and future of our neighborhood declared Congressman and Bronx-native Ritchie Torres at a press conference on Tuesday The State Department of Environmental Conservation DEC put out a proposal in mid-April to give the Harlem River an SB Wet Weather classification The move is part of a larger effort to update the water quality criteria of bodies of water across the state and the Harlem River is the first up for discussion The masses is now invited to weigh in on the proposal and has until June to submit comments The DEC has until April of next year to make a final decision on the river s future status But environmental groups say the classification proposed for the Harlem River would allow the city to relax water quality standards for bacteria discovered in the waterway up to hours after wet weather events The SB Wet Weather classification is a cop-out because then the city gets to say we really don t have to spend any more money on improving water quality in the Harlem River since we are already meeting this lower standard revealed Em Ruby advocacy and approach coordinator at the environmental group Riverkeeper Lifting water quality standards when it rains is problematic because rainfall is what drives the river s CSO matter in the first place experts say CSO impurity happens because the city s archaic sewer system can t handle the amount of water that comes in during a downpour The pipes overflow and end up dumping untreated sewage into nearby waterways With a total of CSO outfalls feeding into its waters the Harlem River receives the bulk combined sewage overflow out of any river in the state according to the non-profit Swim Coalition Environmental advocates want the wet weather exemption to be dropped Instead they propose an SB classification which says the water must be clean enough to swim and fish in ultimately pressuring the city to clean up the river to meet that higher standard If that were to happen the state would set the goal for New York City to ensure that the Harlem River has water quality that is safe for swimming percent of the time regardless of whether it rains or not Ruby explained The Inwood waterfront Harlem River side seen from the Bronx Photo by Adi Talwar But the DEC noted in email that although the SB Wet Weather classification includes an exemption for rain events it s an upgrade from the river s current Class I status This denomination means the city only demands to keep the water clean enough to allow for secondary contact recreation like boating and fishing By upgrading the water quality classifications for rivers across the state the DEC announced in an email that it s making generational investments and improvements in protecting water quality and citizens wellbeing for future generations These landmark regulatory changes are unprecedented building upon decades of ongoing progress to transform the Harlem River and other waters in and around New York City the Department added The DEC also defends the wet weather exemption in its proposal for the new classification arguing that it would cost billion dollars to build and replace new infrastructure that captures percent of the CSO feeding into the Harlem River It s too costly We understand why that s impossible revealed Robert Fanuzzi board member of the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality Instead Fanuzzi and other environmentalists want the city to scale up alternatives That means investing further in ongoing efforts to add rain gardens and green infrastructure to rooftops so they absorb rainwater before it makes its way into the sewers and triggers an overflow There are also gray infrastructure projects that can capture CSO at strategic points where overflow happens often holding the sewage during a downpour so it can be redirected for restoration after a storm is over New York City has already vowed to end the discharge of untreated sewage into the New York Harbor by Setting a higher standard now will push the city to invest in alternative infrastructure that tackles this city-wide trouble advocates say The city should be working with neighborhood members to make sure they have access to the water and that it s clean enough for swimming and fishing revealed Chauncy Young coordinator at the Harlem River Coalition And those efforts should be concentrated in the communities where trash is at its worst Young notes The Hudson River is swimmable and fishable Why is the Harlem River not To reach the reporter behind this story contact Mariana citylimits org The reach the editor contact Jeanmarie citylimits org Want to republish this story Find City Limits reprint strategy here The post Harlem River Status Change Could Stall Cleanup Efforts Environmentalists Warn appeared first on City Limits